popwreckoning

“We love the 9:30 Club, so we weren’t sure if this [playing Constitution Hall] was a good idea,” admitted singer Thomas Mars of Phoenix somewhat bashfully to a sold-out D.C. crowd Monday night. It was a completely understandable worry – the last time Phoenix came to town, they played (and sold out) the comparatively tiny Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel, and the 9:30 is the usual next stop for a band with a growing fanbase. Mars and his group needn’t have worried: the throng that came this night to the 3,700-seater venue were ready and willing to dance and show their appreciation for the the alt-rock / dance band from Paris.

Support for the evening was provided by the young Northern Irish indie pop / rock trio Two Door Cinema Club. I don’t mean to brag, but I’m pretty sure I’m their biggest American fan. Even though they’ve been selling out headlining gigs in the UK with ease, I was incredulous when I heard they were coming to play in North America so quickly (their excellent debut album Tourist History was just released in Britain in March). The Washington gig was only their second ever in America, having played with Phoenix at Atlanta’s Tabernacle 2 days before. Despite this, no hesitation in playing for an unfamiliar audience was evident from their lively set. They began with “Cigarettes in the Theatre,” which seems an appropriate title for a song by a band who named themselves after an actual cinema they frequented back home in Ireland. This one is actually a song about how red-headed lead singer Alex Trimble met his girlfriend.

Sometimes I wondered how the lyrics to their songs could tumble out of Trimble’s mouth so effortlessly and as frenetically as Sam Halliday (lead guitar) and Kev Baird (bass) could play their instruments. After playing a blistering rendition of the single “Something Good Can Work,” Baird told us, “this is our first time in America. America loves the Irish!” Everyone laughed. “We saw your [D.C.] sights.” Trimble added, “we saw the White House. The President lives there.” This caused more laughter before the band started into “This is the Life,” a song with a chaotic outro that upon first listen I immediately associated it with Republica‘s “Ready to Go.”

“What You Know” is one of my favorites from their album, with a sweeping chorus of “and I can tell just what you want / you don’t want to be alone / you don’t want to be alone / and I can’t say it’s what you know / but you’ve known it the whole time / yeah, you’ve known it the whole time.” Simply fabulous were Trimble’s vocals against the backdrop of Halliday’s melodic guitar leading the charge. Before saying goodbye, the band let loose with “I Can Talk”; if there was any song in their arsenal that could get people out of their seats and dancing, this was it. Tourist History was released this week in America and is available now from Glassnote Records, so if you love frenzied, guitar-driven indie pop, I highly recommend buying a copy today.

Two Door Cinema Club Set List
Cigarettes in the Theatre
Undercover Martyn
Do You Want It All
Something Good Can Work
This is the Life
What You Know
Eat That Up, It’s Good for You
Come Back Home
I Can Talk

Phoenix have been around for over a decade, but they’ve remained pretty much a mystery to me, even with songs like “Lisztomania” gaining a foothold in the American radio mainstream. For sure, their album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (released in 2009) winning the Best Alternative Album Grammy and a Cadillac commercial featuring “1901″ have both helped them gain fans. They also explain how a band who played a little club the last time they were in town could sell out an indoor behemoth like Constitution Hall. Numbers like “Fences” and “Girlfriend” showcased the band’s dance bent, while others like “Playground Love,” a tune billed by Mars during the band’s encore as “a song we wrote with [fellow French band] Air,” showed a softer, more sensitive side.

The professional light show looked like it would be more at home at a stadium show than Constitution Hall. There was enough strobe and colored lights to potentially cause epileptic seizures and temporary blindness. Given the choice, I’d rather not be blinded when I’m trying to enjoy a concert; I ended up turning away from the stage when the lighting became too bright. The crowd however appeared unfazed by the light show, content to scream for the band in between songs and jump, dance, or do a combination of the two while the band played on, reveling in the adoration from their fans.

The lighting was not the only unusual feature of the night. Not afraid to be one with the locals, Mars chose to jump up on a speaker stage right and then (aided by an extra long red microphone cord) headed into the upper tier, to the surprise and utter delight of the crowd. After “1901″ was played and the hall was still dark, I thought the show was over. Instead, Mars reappeared in the middle of the floor, singing along to an extended ending of the song before pulling girls up with him as he made his way back up onstage, nearly inciting a riot as gig-goers followed him, madly rushing and clambering onto the stage to join him and the rest of the band. Judging by my fellow blogger Abby’s experience seeing Phoenix at Seattle’s Showbox SoDo in January, maybe this is just par for the course for Phoenix these days.

Phoenix: website | myspace | @ Record Bar | @ Monolith 2009 | @ Rumsey Playfield | Remix Monday: Phoenix – “Love Like a Sunset” | Remix Monday: Phoenix – “Fences” | 107.7 The End’s Deck the Hall Ball 2009 | @ Showbox SoDo
Two Door Cinema Club: website | myspace | Two Door Cinema Club To Tour with Phoenix in Spring, Headline First North American Tour | “Something Good Can Work” video

The last time Phoenix played Kansas City, it was at a 200-capacity venue for a free MySpace secret show. Though I know people drove for miles to see that and waited in line all day, I think Phoenix was a bit shocked at their popularity. Now, nearly a year later, Phoenix returns to Kansas City, but this time at a significantly larger venue with a 2,500-some capacity. Again, I knew people were driving for miles to see this and show had quickly sold out. Yet, again, I think Phoenix was surprised at their popularity, half-expecting that at any moment, they might wake up and be downgraded back to a 200-capacity venue with no one in attendance.

It’s weird to think that this band, which has been releasing albums since 2000 and a band that has roots in Daft Punk and Air, just in the past year became popular in the United States. They seemed to skip that in-between growing popularity phase here: one night no one knew who they were in this country, but then they wake up in the morning and they’re a household name, selling out massive venues.

The band’s performance on SNL had a lot to do with the launch of their success, which I’m kind of thrilled about because now I get to see them multiple times in a year instead of sitting at home wishing they’d come play KC, while I import their albums from France. I also like to think that the band’s crazy rise to stardom in the states challenges them in their stage show to show that this wasn’t a fluke and they deserve this success. And after seeing them three times in the past year, I can attest: they are that great live.

Opening for the show was supposed to be the Irish rock group Two Door Cinema Club, but they had to cancel due to the volcanic activity in Europe disrupting air travel. Locals the Roman Numerals filled in at last minute. I was really looking forward to Two Door Cinema Club, having blasted “I Can Talk” and “Something Good Can Work” fairly solidly on my car play list fairly solidly for the last few weeks, so I was pretty dismayed that they canceled and a local band that I felt was a little over-saturated in the market was filling in. However, I think the offer of opening for such a huge name really pushed the Numerals to outperform their standard. They put on their most dynamic set and energetic set that I’ve ever seen them do. Now knowing that they can play that explosively, I hope they can meet the bar set as this show and continue to outperform themselves.

Some of the guys in Phoenix had mentioned to me that their light show had also been affected by the European volcano due to their light guy getting stranded. They said they had to make some amendments to their usual show. Despite knowing this change up, the light show blew me away. Sure, there were lots of strobe effects, but they also knew how to use dark space. Band members were cast and shadow or spotlighted when appropriate for a big solo–which was refreshing to see that all members were given equal respect and not just the lead singer given the spotlight. One of my favorite moments of the light show was during an instrumental interlude where the stage went dark and the amps were slowly outlined in neon lights in this big growing effect that mimicked the growing dynamic of the music. Beautiful.

Now, that being said about the astounding lights, they really were just a bonus. The band’s aural performance was enough to impress, but to get killer lights and music? Lucky. The set mixed songs spanning the length of the Phoenix catalog and I was pleased to see that so many knew more than just “1901″ and “Listzomania.” The band has some slow numbers, but for the most part, they’re upbeat alternative rock songs. While they’re not what one would generally consider dance music, they’re surprisingly easy to dance to, but KC did need some encouragement in this department. “This track is supposed to be a dance track, so if you guys don’t mind,” said singer Thomas Mars before “Girlfriend.” His recommendation was quickly taken to heart by the audience and the house lights were even brought up so the band could watch the audience dance.

Mars was a giant ball of energy, singing his heart and engaging the crowd by reaching his hands out to them and at times, even entering the throngs. “Where would you go” he sang on “Lasso” and seemed to answer himself by showing that where he’d go is into the crowd. Usually just the front rows benefited from this, but during the encore, he disappeared during “1901″ only to appear deep in the crowd and then surfing his way back to the front.

The encore was a blast, not just because of the extended “1901″ with Mars deep in the crowd, but because we were treated to two special stripped down versions of “Playground Love” and “Everything Is Everything.” It was nice to see that even though you can see this band frequently and get some of the same songs, you’re not necessarily getting the same show.

Phoenix Set List:
Lisztomania
Long Distance Call
Lasso
Consolation Prizes
Fences
Girlfriend
Armistice
Love Like A Sunset
Run Run Run
Rally
Countdown
Rome
//
Playground Love (Stripped)
Everything is Everything (Stripped)
1901

After seeing a half-hour Phoenix set last month, it left me wanting so much more. Thankfully, that “more” came just five weeks later – this last Saturday the 23rd at the Showbox SoDo, literally right down the street from where I saw them last month.

The Soft Pack served as the opening course for the night, and with how ridiculously packed this venue was, they held their own pretty well. I was virtually unfamiliar with the Soft Pack, but now I can say that I was pleased I saw them. With the quick and punky “C’Mon” and “Pull Out,” they got the crowd dancing like it was the year 2000. Seriously, they felt like a nice throwback to the garage rock of the beginning of the decade – like early Strokes with less swagger and more gusto. They played through their strong set list that included other standouts, “Extinction,” “Brightside” and “Parasites,” all scribbled down on a ripped napkin that lay on the floor. The understated frontman-ness of Matt Lamkin met with the raw energy of lead guitarist Matty McLoughlin made for a great synergy on stage. They felt very current, yet seasoned. I totally dug it. Be sure to keep your ears peeled for these guys in 2010.

After their 40-minute set, the Soft Pack exited the stage to make way for Phoenix’s gear, front and center. Thankfully I found myself in front of the guy with an obscene amount of frizzy hair, who was originally standing in front of me. But he did provide one especially random moment of the night – as Phoenix was just about to step on stage he shouted, “Come on guys, allons-y!” “Allons-y,” meaning “let’s go” in French isn’t just a culturally relevant phrase to shout to a band that hails from France, but for me it was a hilarious reference to the BBC sci-fi show “Doctor Who.” But that could be just me.

Opening with “Lisztomania,” the French foursome started out their just-under-90-minute set just as strong as I remembered from last month. But on this night, we had three times as many songs from them, which made the show exponentially better. Paired with trippy strobe lights half the night, I can say that this was the craziest dance party I’ve been to… possibly ever. The one negative I could bring up was how full the Showbox SoDo decided to book for this show. Even when I tried to duck out of the crowd directly in front of the stage during the encore, I could barely find a clear spot against the wall. Definitely a claustrophobic’s nightmare.

But Phoenix surely did not disappoint – playing almost all the songs off last year’s “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix,” as well as some old tunes. Including – “Consolation Prizes,” “Rally,” “Long Distance Call” and “Napoleon Says” off It’s Never Been Like That, an extra slow and groovy version of “Everything is Everything” from Alphabetical, and even the epically heavy “Funky Squaredance” and the light and dancey “If I Ever Feel Better” and “Too Young” off their 2000 debut United. Those were especially nice surprises after someone shouted from the audience, “Lost in Translation soundtrack, yeah!” Some people say the darndest things.

Even Thomas Mars does. At one point, I can’t remember when, he declared that he wanted to thank the people of Federal Way – a small suburb of Seattle, about 20 minutes out of town. I never figured out why, but it could have been the first town they saw when they got off the plane. Who knows?

Throughout the night, Phoenix moved through the best of their catalogue, transitioning dynamically from an energetic dance number like “Lasso” to an extended haunting electronic track like “Love Like A Sunset.” It all led up to the extremely lengthy encore, which is was all right by me. Mars took a nice little trip out into the audience, crowd-surfing as far as the microphone cord would let him, while Deck D’Arcy, Laurent Brancowitz and Christian Mazzalai stayed up on stage and jammed for a good solid five minutes with the same trippy strobes lighting up the room. After introducing their “farewell song,” they played three more – which included the huge hit, “1901,” and a giant dance party where everyone within leaping distance jumped up on stage to close the set. At that point, I wasn’t in leaping distance, but I did get a picture of those who were.

Even with how unpleasant SoDo was, I left very pleased with my second Phoenix show, and in fact, my first show of the new decade. Thank you, Phoenix, for starting out this decade wonderfully. Seattle will be glad to have you back many more times.

Set List:
Lisztomania
Long Distance Call
Lasso
Rally
Fences
Girlfriend
Armistice
Love Like A Sunset
Napoleon Says
Too Young
Consolation Prizes
Rome
Funky Squaredance
ENCORE:
Everything is Everything
If I Ever Feel Better
1901

Certainly one of the most popular albums of 2009 was Phoenix’s fourth release, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. I’ve always liked Phoenix’s music from their debut in 2000 with United, but this album was something else. And I’m glad to see Phoenix getting the attention and stardom they deserve. One of my favorite tracks off of the album was “Fences” and I really like the remixes that have been done for this song.

.Phoenix – “Fences”
Fences is a mid tempo track that feels faster with the music, but slower through lead singer Thomas Mars’ vocals. The song has a romantic tinge to it with the highs and lows of Mars’ crooning voice. The vocals are really the best part that reach a falsetto, the music pursuing the change, creating a song with a lot of variety. The music is a beautiful blend of rock, jangly guitars with touches of synthesizers and light body moving drums.

.Def Starr Remix
This is by far the best remix of the song. The synthy beginning reminds me of the intro to “Forever Young” by Alphaville. The mix then jumps into squiggles and rubs on a synthesizer, which create sounds as such. The rock aesthetic of the song is subtly peeled away to be replaced by soft electronic music. The music is incredibly hushed and delicate; the altered version comes across as something simpler and purer. It’s the track I listen to the most out of all of them. Mars’ vocals seemed enhanced here, perhaps because they stand out amongst the softer music.

.Friendly Fires Remix
Friendly Fires change up things significantly here. The music is louder, jumpier and definitely faster. I see this one being played on dance floors. It has an old schools 90s dance vibe to it, mixed with jangly pianos, splinter splashed drums, and eventually some heavy presses on the trusty synth. The vocals are of course left in place, because they’re oh so good, though at times come across muffled by the music. Either way, a great re-working of the original.

.Neo Tokyo Remix
The Neo Tokyo mix is an even further cry away from the original. All rock/soft aesthetics are stripped to be replaced by French electro trash instrumentation; all very distorted, jarring, sleazy and buzzy. But it’s a fun mix to get into, as it has typical house builds up and come downs. It’s got all sorts of craziness in it throughout.

Phoenix: website | myspace | @ rumsey playfield | @ monolith | @ record bar | remix monday “love like a sunset”

Photo by: Dese’Rae L. Stage

Phoenix’s fourth LP drop, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, was critically praised by critics the world over and shone a light on a band that through no choice of their own, eluded immense popularity. One track off of that album that was well received was “Love Like A Sunset.” Though I do enjoy the track, I don’t hold it in as high esteem as others when compared to others from the album, however, I quite like the remixes.

.Phoenix – Love Like A Sunset
“Love Like A Sunset” is an extremely long song, running close to eight minutes, with the majority being a dark and moody instrumental composition. The piano keys fall like raindrops on a cool and dreary evening, the melody hums, and a foreboding essence plumes from the staccato guitars. Though around six minutes in, sunshine breaks through the gloom with sweetly strummed guitars, Mars’ gentle vocals and a slower pace that ends with “You’re like a sunset.”

.Shuttle Remix
The Shuttle remix is concise, which is welcome. It’s not ominous or brooding like the original, but comes in with programmed drums that pitter patter throughout the track. Brief, but intense pushes on synthesizers are intermittently inserted, but right away we are welcomed with Mars’ vocals, which is the best part of the track. From there the song picks up with insane pace, become a pseudo techy house mix, with fuzz, distortion and bubbles of electronic tweaks. Also worth noting is that Shuttle is a member of Passion Pit, with whom Phoenix was playing a few shows with.

.Animal Collective Remix
The AC remix sticks to the blueprints of the moodiness of the original. The song is raw with a touch of tribal drums and the airy feel of the original. Here, too, Mars’ vocals come in without any delay and echo across the tune in a spacial manner. The remix picks up a little speed but for the most part sticks to this format, pleasant, understated, but nonetheless great to listen to.

Phoenix: website | myspace | @ rumsey playfield | @ monolith | @ record bar

Photo by: Dese’Rae L. Stage